With officer-involved shootings and angry protests in Anaheim exposing its race and class divisions across national and international headlines, Duane Roberts feels that the timing is right to make a bid for city council. In taking the first step, the local activist pulled papers yesterday and has until the end of the week to gather all the necessary signatures from registered voters.

"I pulled papers because I'm not convinced any of the other candidates are going to address critical issues facing this community," Roberts says. "Many of them are members of the political establishment and have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. They are not going to say or do anything that will rock the boat."

The unofficial list of council member hopefuls rounds out to an even dozen with the community organizer entering the fray. Others include über -corporatist Democrat

A resident of West Anaheim, Roberts is well known around progressive circles in the city and county for his pro-immigrant rights stances and efforts combating Know Nothing pendejos over the years. Still, he is a dark horse candidate, but the electorate will be more engaged and enraged than usual this time around.

"An overwhelming majority of Anaheim residents -- everybody from homeowners, housewives, to hotel maids--are mad as hell," Roberts gauges. "They are tired of seeing big business interests use the city treasury as their personal piggy bank. They are fed up watching their children being abused and shot at by out-of-control cops. They are angry city services are being slashed while politicians do nothing but enrich their campaign contributors."

Anaheim finds itself in the midst of interesting times and the race for city council could become a whole lot more intriguing with the unfiltered critical perspectives of a potential Roberts campaign.

"You can only push people's faces into the ground so long," he says, "Before they start fighting back, before they start rebelling."